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I have some news to share and, frankly, I find it infinitely distressing. It involves our friend FlyBaby--Micheal--who would type this himself, if he were able. But, since he was rather savagely beaten on Saturday night and, then, arrested, he is not feeling up to the task of typing.

It seems that Michael had stopped at a grocery store late Saturday night and parked in a handicapped parking spot. Next to him, was a car with two women in and they had no handicap tag... Michael asked if they should be parking there, and, from what he tells me, next thing, one of the women hit him around the side of his head. The other woman ran around the car and started beating on him, too, and then--somewhere in the melee--someone called store employees outside and the police. By the time the police arrived, Michael was on the ground, being kicked and beaten and, the two women were claiming that he had attempted some kind of assault on them. The police, joined the store employees in "subduing" Michael, who had tried in vain to convey the fact that he has Parkinson's--even, to the point of saying "I have a neurological disorder and a deep brain stimulator in my head"--but, the police would hear none of it. In fact, they threatened to tase him if he did not, "sit, still," "stop moving," "stand up," and, "cooperate."

Michael was subsequently handcuffed and charged with assault. On whom? No idea at the moment, he is to appear in court on Thursday. The two women? As far as we know, no charges--even though Michael specifically (you go Michael!) asked them to issue a citation for parking in a handicapped spot. The store employees? To Michael's knowledge, no charges either.

Apparently, the only person charged with assault was Michael. However, it seems the only person assaulted, was also Michael.

The police transported Michael to an area hospital where they did a CT scan and released him to go home.

The situation as it now stands: I saw him via Skype about thirty minutes ago. He is shaken, bruised, and frankly--felt he was facing imminent death on Saturday--so, his PD symptoms are not controlled at all. (Whilst he was talking to me, his neurology office called and they have ordered the scans from the ER and his neurologist is going to review them for any signs of damage.)

There is no telling, at this time, the scope of damage this could have done to Michael himself--outside of his PD, outside of his DBS--Michael, the man. He is 5ft 10in tall, weighs 250lbs, and nobody would hear his stuttering, halted voice trying to tell them that he had a DBS while they were kicking him in the head. When the police ordered him to stand up and he told them he could not, they said, "You're a big boy, you can stand up" then, when he failed to "cooperate," they pulled him up bodily from the ground. As I recall, Michael said that they threatened to tase him because he kept trying to lift his chest off the ground to protect his DBS battery.

Well, sorry the news is so awful.

I don't know what else to say, except... I'm thinking of you my friend.

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that is just horrible! Sounds like police butality to me. Someone should bring it to the medias attention. Better yet someone of position in the National PD group or MJFox group should contact the media. I feel like we need to do something. Could we send emails to the media where he lives? WE cant let this slide.

Prayers for you michael!

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Kim, I was shocked reading what happen to Michael...just hope he has a good lawyer...he has done so much for all of us on the forum...we have had many laughs with him...here's hoping they get the correct story and that the police get some education about PD and DBS....with the way the world is going....more and more people will show signs of PD.

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I can only say, I SO felt Michael's distress. He could not hold the phone to talk to me, so we Skyped... and, he has a black eye, contusions on his face, and he told me he is sore all over his body. Add to that, he has an extra "bump" on his head right--next to one of his caps.

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Sorry to hear this Michael, were you wearing your medical alert bracelet?

I asked him that, too... he said he was, but it apparently came off in the scuffle and he does not know what happened to it. He did manage to get his Medtronics DBS card out of his wallet in the ambulance and the medics appeared then, he said, to take him seriously.

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Those must have been some tough women that beat him up! Thanks for the explanation.

It wasn't just the two women - one of them apparently screamed into the grocery store that Michael was assaulting one of them... and so, at least two store employees (men this time) ran out to "help." Michael was apparently trying to get them to understand that he was not the aggressor, but he couldn't seem to get anyone to listen.

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Dear Michael, i am so sorry to hear of this terribly heinous occurrence! My heart aches for you. Those women are despicable. And the police behaved shamefully. I do hope that justice is done and both parties are forced to suffer for their actions. Take good care of yourself. i hope your electrodes etc were not disrupted and that you heal perfectly. You have my deepest sympathy. We on this forum can testify as to your innate goodness and character. Let us know if you need references should you decide to sue. We could provide a stack of letters that could possibly prove helpful. You were the first person to welcome me to the forum, i will never forget that! You are beloved.

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I am so terribly sorry to hear this, Michael. You will be in my thoughts and prayers---first of all for healing and no harm to your DBS things, but also for justice and for something good to come out of your suffering. Take good care! Swamper